Master theologian to speak at Forest Hill Presbyterian Church

by Peg Weissbrod

Dr. Walter Brueggemann

Well-known theologian, author and preacher Walter Brueggemann will speak at Forest Hill Presbyterian Church on Sunday, June 14. He will teach a Bible study class at 9:30 a.m. and preach at the 11 a.m. worship service.

At 2 p.m., Brueggemann will discuss the economics of extraction, or wealth inequality. As he explains, both biblical and present-day economic powers thrive by extracting wealth from the vulnerable and transferring it to a powerful elite. The result is a concentration of wealth in the hands of a few at the expense of the many.

According to Brueggemann, the means of such extraction are unfair taxation, debt management, high interest rates and cheap labor. The Bible speaks against such practices and in favor of restoring economic equity through debt cancellation. Given current U.S. economic policies and practices, this issue is as important today as it was in biblical times.

Among the world’s foremost interpreters of the Hebrew Bible, Brueggemann has lectured and preached throughout the world. He is the author of more than 100 books and articles, including Theology of the Old Testament; Psalms: New Cambridge Bible Commentary, with William Bellinger; Sabbath as Resistance; Reality, Grief, Hope; The Prophetic Imagination; and Journey to the Common Good.

Brueggemann is the William Marcellus McPheeters Professor Emeritus of Old Testament at Columbia Theology Seminary in Decatur, Ga., where he served from 1986 until his retirement in 2003. He is a past president of the Society of Biblical Literature and an ordained minister with the United Church of Christ.

All worship services and events are free and open to the public. The church is located at 3031 Monticello Blvd. in Cleveland Heights.

Peg Weissbrod

Peg Weissbrod is a freelance writer and content manager for Forest Hill Church in Cleveland Heights.